How Much is that Blue Flower in the Window?

February 14, 2008 12:11 AM

FlowerFilter: What were these flowers?

An year ago, I gave my significant other some blue/violet flowers because they were a kind she especially liked. Fast-forward to now: I'm trying to remember the name of the flowers, but can't. They were blue/violet colored, had multiple flowers on a single stem, and the flowers were slightly droopy, but that's all I remember. Help me, please!

posted by suedehead to home & garden (19 answers total)

Perhaps they were...
• blue irises? (These don't have multiple flowers on a single stem, though one might be lead to assume they might)
• wild lupine?
• jacob's ladder?
• great blue lobelia?
• blue bells?
posted by numinous at 12:59 AM on February 14, 2008

Or maybe:
• European bellflower?
• grape hyacinth?

Otherwise, you might have luck checking out this site that offers picture galleries of flowers according to color.
posted by numinous at 1:05 AM on February 14, 2008

Hydrangea?
posted by b33j at 2:05 AM on February 14, 2008

Delphinium?
posted by AnnaRat at 3:03 AM on February 14, 2008

I find blue gladiolus are usually easy to find at many florists throughout the year. Could it be these?
posted by MeetCleaverTheatre at 3:38 AM on February 14, 2008

Lisianthus?
posted by Squeak Attack at 5:54 AM on February 14, 2008

I'm going with b33j and guessing hydrangea.
posted by kimdog at 6:25 AM on February 14, 2008

Perhaps blue freesia - they're not droopy, but they have several blooms on one stem.

If you can recall the approximate shape and size of the flowers and their positioning on the stem that might help.
posted by Metroid Baby at 6:54 AM on February 14, 2008

Wow, thanks for the answers so far, everybody!
I'm really tempted to say that they were blue irises, but am almost certain that they were on a single stem, like jacob's ladder...
posted by suedehead at 6:56 AM on February 14, 2008

Couple more possibilities:
lilacs
orchid

Do you recall if they had a scent?
posted by iconomy at 8:01 AM on February 14, 2008

If you can recall the shape of the flowers, that would be helpful. Also, next year? Be sure to take pix of your s.o. HOLDING said flowers so you can just bring the photo to the florist. ;)

p.s.--If multiple blooms on single stalk, I'm going to wager lisianthus or delphinium. Irises, while a common favorite, are single bloom on single stalk.
posted by mosspink at 8:40 AM on February 14, 2008

Violets are popular this time of year too.
posted by iconomy at 8:42 AM on February 14, 2008

Larkspur?
another image ....
posted by gyusan at 9:00 AM on February 14, 2008

Do you remember where you got the flowers last year? They might know.
posted by rhizome at 9:18 AM on February 14, 2008

My guess is almost for sure blue orchids, which are dyed to look blue and purple. I know you can find them pretty easily. I can't find a link to a picture of a stem of them, but here's an arrangement which shows them pretty clearly:
Blue orchid arrangement

Good luck - and hope this isn't too late!
posted by sabotagerabbit at 12:19 PM on February 14, 2008

Hmmm, were they Purple Gladiolus?
posted by numinous at 1:23 PM on February 14, 2008

These Peruvian Lilies are sort of similar to irises, and they seem to bloom in a similar fashion to the jacob's ladder.
posted by numinous at 1:38 PM on February 14, 2008

Oops! Sorry, messed up the link:
Blue orchid arrangement
posted by sabotagerabbit at 2:44 PM on February 14, 2008

Wow, I'm really surprised at the level of response I got. I'm pretty sure they were freesia, but thanks so much for the replies, everybody!
posted by suedehead at 3:05 PM on February 14, 2008